Time for abortion on demand?

GOP presidential candidate leader Donald Trump has called for criminal punishment for women getting an abortion. Second place candidate Ted Cruz has started a "Pro-lifers for Cruz" coalition co-chaired by Troy Newman, on record calling for execution of abortion providers and treating aborting women as murderers.

While neither is unlikely to implement these ghoulish prescriptions should either become president, it's time to push back to a signature culture war issue of the rapidly disintegrating Republican Party.

What both promote about abortion, could, in the mind of some religious fanatics, be applied to any medical help for life threatening, or life impairing medical condition. In our relatively sane society we punish parents who refuse such medical care for their powerless child. Are principled religious folks lobbying to maintain the growth of an unwanted fetus (regardless of the reason) in contravention of a woman's right to control her reproductive health, any different from similarly principled folks who believe God doesn't want them to destroy the cancerous tumor He planted in their body? How would Ted Cruz react if some of those zealots lobbied to prevent him doing that as a desecration of God's Will? I suspect he'd claim the imaginary God he worships is OK for excising the cancer his benevolent God chose to give him.

We've come too far saving thousands of women from botched back alley abortions since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in 1973. But we're inexorably sliding backward as heartless states drastically eliminate abortion providers. Those legislators and governors are oblivious to the reality that unsafe abortions rise inversely too the decline of safe and accessible abortion providers. Their perverse effort to eliminate abortion disproportionally affects the poor who can't travel long distances to find one of the dwindling facilities. The rich merely tap into their discretionary wealth to get services that should be fully available to all.

Abortion on demand should be a plank in a national health care system that this backward country still doesn't have. Abortion must be completely divorced from all religions as a matter of critical public policy. Any religion working to limit abortion through legislation should lose their tax exempt status. They have one right when it comes to abortion: preaching against it to their followers.

Trump appears devoid of a single religious bone; his loony call to criminalize women who abort is pure pandering to his ignorant, angry followers. A President Trump would likely forget he ever mentioned the subject. Cruz has 206 religious bones, every one in his body. As a Dominionist, Cruz believes it's his duty to gain the presidency to impose delusional Evangelical concepts on our secular society. Neither Cruz nor Trump would bring America to a just point where abortion is available to all on demand from a humane society.

 

What do you call Illinois' worst deadbeat dad?

When a man abandons supporting and caring for his kids, he's called a 'deadbeat dad' and if caught, is made to care for them. Failure to comply carries severe sanctions on his livelihood and possibly even his freedom.

But what do you call a man who abandons supporting and caring for the 13,000,000 citizens who are dependent on him for their health, education and well being?

Governor.

Roskam should reprise Whitmore role in 'Palestinian Like Me'.

My Congressman Peter Roskam is cool with the subjugation and inhuman treatment 8 million Israelis practice against 4.5 million Palestinians. Keeping 1.8 million Palestinians penned up under quarantine in Gaza, the world's largest open air prison, or inexorably gobbling up Palestinian land, water and other natural resources from from the 2.7 million Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank makes no dent on Roskam's conscience as he never even acknowledges their existence. At his websitewww.roskam.house.gov, Roskam always displays a homepage feature touting his role as Co-chair of the GOP Israeli Caucus, dedicated to promoting endless US 'free stuff' to beef up the gargantuan Israeli defenses against the existential threat of one of the most persecuted groups on earth protesting for their freedom, a home country, indeed, their very survival. Apparently, those 80 nukes that Israel possesses in contravention to world norms against nuclear proliferation, are not nearly enough to satisfy Roskam's thirst to maintain totalitarian rule in that sorrowful land with endless US largess.

A suggestion for my congressman. How bout reprising the James Whitmore role in the 1964 true life flick 'Black Like Me. In it Whitmore played John Howard Griffin, a white Southerner, who darkened his skin to go on a six week odyssey of the 1959 version of today's Israel, where being black in the South was hazardous to one's health. Roskam's remake would be titled 'Palestinian Like Me' and feature our endless Israel cheerleader posing as a Palestinian sampling life in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Roskam wouldn't even have to darken his skin; just lose a lot of weight and dress like he was destitute, which would allow him to fit in quite well with the 4.5 million folks he pretends don't even exist. Rather that Griffin's six weeks in South as a black, six days in a Palestinian adverse Israel should be enough to give Roskam an epiphany that being a member of the human race, not to mention Congress, requires one to stand up for the downtrodden, demoralized and demonized in society, wherever they reside.

Who knows, when he returns from the true life set of 'Palestinian Like Me', Roskam may resign being Co-chair of the GOP Israeli Caucus and form new new group: The GOP Palestinian Caucus.

Free political prisoner Blago

The 14 year sentence currently being served by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for public corruption is more disgraceful that anything he illegally did as governor. Five years into being removed from his family, Blago's imprisonment has cost taxpayers about $150,000, exactly $150,000 more than he cost us during his 7 years as governor. Now that the US Supreme Court has denied hearing his appeal based on his contention he was convicted of mere political bantering practiced by every office holder, Blago goes before 'hanging judge' James Zagel, who could reduce his sentence due to 5 of 14 counts being overturned..or he could increase his sentence. Blagojevich was impeached, disgraced and prevented from ever holding office in Illinois again. That was punishment enough. Squandering precious treasure warehousing him is strictly political payback for an incorrigible jerk who couldn't refrain from taunting the political elite in Illinois. They prefer political shenanigans to be practiced in private, with not a whisper of disdain for the establishment which endlessly wastes our money and squanders opportunity for betterment far from the glare of TV news.

Traveling light

Ever see the pic of Bernie flying coach scrunched in middle seat? What you don't see is what really terrifies the GOP when he gets the nomination: NO BAGGAGE.